Ann-Margret: the It Girl of the 60s who dated Elvis

Remember Ann-Margret? At 81, she is still rocking hard. In fact, she's finally living her dream and releasing a rock 'n' roll album. Called 'Born to Be Wild,' it features rock classics and collaborations with legends like Pete Townshend. Here's how she got here after a 60-plus-year career.

Ann-Margret Olsson was born in Valsjöbyn, Sweden in 1941, moving to the United States with her family when she was six years old. She grew up in a small town outside of Chicago, where her passion for performing arts was ignited.

Ann-Margret's mother recognized her talent for dancing at a young age and enrolled her in dance lessons. This early training laid the foundation for her illustrious career in show business.

At 19, Ann-Margret was discovered by legendary comedian George Burns while performing in a nightclub. Burns was so impressed, he invited her to join his Las Vegas show. "Even before she opened her mouth, the audience was charmed by her natural beauty and poise. Then she sang, and the people were captivated," he wrote.

In 1961, her star was rising fast. She laid down her sultry vocals for her debut album, the romantic and charming 'And Here She Is ... Ann-Margret.' It garnered her a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.

After being signed onto a six-year contract at 20th Century Fox, she made her film debut in 'Pocketful of Miracles' in 1961. For that role, she was awarded her first Golden Globe for New Actress of the Year.

Although she read for the part of the "good girl," she ended up being cast as the "bad girl" in the 1962 film 'State Fair.' In her autobiography, she said she was a mix of both, transforming "from Little Miss Lollipop to S e x pot-Banshee" when she got on stage.

Image: State Fair, 20th Century Fox

The following year, she played the all-American teenager in the musical 'Bye Bye Birdie.' She was put on the cover of 'Life' magazine, which declared that her "torrid dancing almost replaces the central heating in the theater."

While her energy tended to overshadow her fellow castmates, she found her match in Elvis during the filming of 'Viva Las Vegas' in 1964. Even so, they recorded three duets for the film, but only one was released out of fear that her presence would eclipse that of 'The King.'

Ann-Margret confirmed that she and Elvis had an "electric" one-year affair. In her memoir, she said they were soulmates, but other "commitments" kept the pair apart, including his relationship with Priscilla. They remained friends until his death.

In 1967, Ann-Margret married actor Roger Smith, who went on to become her manager. They stayed married until he died 50 years later at age 84 in 2017.

Just as the celebrity machine built her up, it began to tear her down. She starred in several films in the late 60s that tended to be either box-office flops or roles that weren't as meaty as her previous smash hits.

Ann-Margret has been an avid motorcycle enthusiast since her youth. She owns (and still rides!) a custom lavender Harley-Davidson, and her love for bikes can be seen in the 1967 poster for her first Vegas show, where she's posing on a Triumph Tiger motorcycle.

The year after Marilyn famously performed "Happy Birthday," Ann-Margret sang for President John F. Kennedy at his private birthday party in New York. In 1975, she also performed at a state dinner honoring the Shah of Iran — just a few years before the Iranian Revolution.

Photo: National Archives and Records Administration, US, 1975 via Wikimedia

Ann-Margret has been open about her problems with alcohol, especially after the accident. In her autobiography, she said she shared similar "demons" to Elvis. She said she was fueled by pills and drinks and unable to separate "fantasy from reality."

In 1972, Ann-Margret fell 22 feet from a stage platform, suffering severe injuries that required facial reconstructive surgery. Demonstrating her resilience, she made a remarkable recovery, returning to performing just ten weeks after the accident.

By the 70s, she was back making beloved films, but she never regained her status as a "top star." However, in her films, she was nominated for Oscars and even won Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress in 'Carnal Knowledge' and 'Tommy.' She also had hits on the dance charts, the most successful song being 'Love Rush.'

Image: Tommy, Columbia Pictures, 1975

In her memoir, she also explained how she tried everything over a 13-year period to have children, from fertility pumps to inserting experimental devices. She said she eventually accepted it and left it to fate, but she was the stepmother to three of Smith's children.

Image: Carnal Knowledge, Embassy Pictures, 1971

Ann-Margret was tantalizingly close to getting the role of Sandy in the 1978 film 'Grease,' which was reminiscent of the classic 'Bye Bye Birdie.' But since she was 37, she was deemed too old. While the role went to Olivia Newton-John, the character was named Sandy Olsson in her honor.

Throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, she continued to make frequent appearances on TV and films, winning more Golden Globes for TV movies in the 80s and winning best actress for her 2010 appearance on 'Law & Order: SVU.'

But in 2023, the motorcycle mama finally did something she'd always wanted to do: record a rock 'n' roll album, aptly titled 'Born to Be Wild.' It contains all rock standards and brings together her old gang.

According to a NYT review, the album proves that "e r o t i c i s m doesn't have a cutoff date." With a big grain of humor, the album includes many collaborations with her friends. "I'm just happy to be alive. I have the same friends I've had for 60 years, and I feel the way I felt when I first met them," she told the paper.